Tesla made a change to the Cybertruck, and no one noticed. But to be fair, no one was able to do that, but the lead engineer of the program revealed that he was aiming to simplify manufacturing by slightly changing the casting process.
After the Cybertruck earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for its reputation as the safest pickup on the market, some wondered what had changed about the vehicle.
The Tesla Cybertruck received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS
Tesla routinely makes changes to its vehicles through over-the-air software updates, but aesthetic changes are relatively rare. Vehicles undergo a refresh every few years, as happened with the Model 3 and Model Y earlier this year. However, the Cybertruck is one vehicle that hasn’t changed much since its launch in late 2023, but it has gone through some minor changes.
Recently, Wes Morrell, lead engineer for the Cybertruck, said the company had made a slight change to the casting of the all-electric truck for manufacturing purposes. This change happened in April:
We made a slight change to the casting process for manufacturability in April. Our internal testing shows no difference in crash result, but the IIHS has only officially tested the latest version
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 17, 2025
This change is among the most subtle changes that can be made, but it makes a huge difference in manufacturing efficiency, build quality, and scalability.
Morrell revealed that Tesla’s internal tests showed no difference in the results of crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The 2025 Cybertruck received excellent ratings in both demanding test scenarios and categories. The Top Safety Pick+ award is only awarded if it excels in stringent crash tests. This requires “Good” ratings in the updated small and medium overlap front, side, roof and head restraints.
In addition, it should have an advanced day and night forward collision prevention system. Importantly, the vehicle must have ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’ headlights as standard on all models, with the ‘+’ specifically required to undergo a new, updated, more stringent moderate overlap test that checks rear seat occupant protection alongside driver safety.
